Skeleton Restoration

The Return of Iki Elephant

Flutter & Wow teamed with master mount-maker Dan Erickson to facilitate the careful skeleton restoration of Iki the Asian elephant. Now on permanent display at the Wayne State University STEM Innovation Learning Center, Wayne State originally obtained the skeleton 40 years ago.

For 30 years, Iki stood near the library lobby at WSU. During the STEM renovation, she was carefully disassembled and restored. Iki made her debut in the renovated STEM building in May 2021.

Iki was first obtained by one of the world’s most prominent fossil elephant experts, Jeheskel (Hezy) Shoshani, in 1980. She was in her 40’s when she died. Iki was also part of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. 

Along with Erickson, Flutter & Wow helped oversee the restoration, custom mount-fabrication, and final installation of Iki’s skeleton. Iki was reassembled using ropes, pulleys, and other prop-building tools. To see another example of Flutter & Wow’s animal exhibition work, click here.